Barbara's Lighthouse

03/22/2026

This research validates what I see every day in our hallways. Our chronic absenteeism rates have doubled since 2019, and our counseling referrals are at an all-time high. Dr. Greene's framework helps explain why traditional disciplinary approaches aren't moving the needle on student engagement or behavior.

Immediate Challenges in Implementation
Staffing Reality: While collaborative problem-solving sounds ideal, managing a school of 1,800 students with two counselors and a part-time social worker, and the mental health provider shortage Dr. Greene mentions isn't theoretical—it's our daily constraint.

Time Constraints: High-stakes testing pressure means teachers feel they can't afford the time for collaborative problem-solving conversations. When state accountability measures hang over us, it's hard to convince staff to slow down for relationship-building.

What We Can Control
Micro-Level Interventions: I'm already seeing success with restorative practice circles and peer mediation programs that align with Greene's collaborative approach. These cost-effective strategies can be scaled.

Professional Development Priority: This framework should drive our next round of teacher training. Moving from "compliance-based" to "problem-solving" mindset requires systematic support for our educators.

Resource Allocation Implications
Budget Realities: Adding mental health support requires reallocating funds from other priorities. However, the cost of NOT addressing these issues—in terms of lost instructional time, staff burnout, and student outcomes—may be higher.

Community Partnerships: We need to leverage community mental health organizations and train more staff in basic intervention strategies rather than waiting for external providers.

Implementation Strategy
Start Small: Pilot collaborative problem-solving approaches with our highest-need students
Train Champions: Identify teacher leaders who can model these approaches
Measure Impact: Track not just behavior incidents but also student engagement and academic progress
Parent Education: Help families understand this shift from punitive to problem-solving approaches

Bottom Line
Dr. Greene's research confirms what many of us in urban education have suspected: our traditional approaches aren't meeting today's students where they are. While systemic change is needed, we can't wait for macro-level solutions. We must start implementing these collaborative, problem-solving approaches now, even with limited resources.

The question isn't whether we can afford to make these changes—it's whether we can afford not to. - Dr. Delisa Rodgers, Executive Director and Founder of EmpowerED.

Harvard-trained child psychologist Ross W. Greene has studied over 1,000 kids. He explains why so many children are struggling today, and what parents and educators can do to support them.

03/19/2026

Try This Today (2 Minutes):

List three things currently taking up your time or energy.
Ask yourself:

"If I were starting from scratch today, would I choose to do this?"

If the answer is no, consider stopping it, even if you've already invested time.

03/19/2026

Permission
It's okay to stop doing things that once made sense but no longer align with where you're going. What worked before doesn't have to work forever.

03/19/2026

Gratitude
Think of one commitment you declined or activity you stopped that freed up space for something more important. That no was as valuable as any yes you've given.

03/19/2026

Affirmation
I can create focus by eliminating what doesn't serve my priorities. Saying no to good things makes room for the great ones that actually matter.

03/19/2026

CONFIDENCE BUILDERS
Your Permission to Do Less Better

What it is: There's real confidence in choosing to do fewer things with more attention rather than spreading yourself thin across everything that seems important. It's about trusting that doing less, but doing it well, gets you further than trying to do everything at once.

Why it works: The cultural pressure to multitask and stay busy creates the illusion that doing more equals achieving more.

But research on attention and productivity shows the opposite: people who focus deeply on fewer priorities produce higher quality work and experience less stress than those who constantly split their attention.

Task-switching depletes mental energy and reduces effectiveness on everything you touch. When you develop confidence in doing less better, you're choosing sustainable excellence over performative busyness.

This week's challenge: Look at your current commitments, projects, and goals. Identify one or two things that actually deserve your best attention right now.

Then identify at least one thing you're going to intentionally do less well, put on hold, or stop pretending matters as much. Write down what it feels like to give yourself permission to focus deeply on what truly counts instead of maintaining a mediocre effort across everything.

Reframe this week: Instead of "I should be able to handle all of this equally well," try "Focusing deeply on fewer things gets better results than doing everything halfway."

Try this today: Pick one thing on your list that deserves your best focus today. Then give yourself permission to do everything else at a lower standard, or not at all. Notice how different it feels to go deep on one thing instead of skimming across many.

03/12/2026

Try this today:

Pick one small thing you've been putting off. Commit only to starting, five or ten minutes. You don't have to finish, you don't have to do it well. Just begin.

03/12/2026

Reframe this week:

Instead of "I can't start until I know how this will turn out," try "I can begin without needing to see the whole path."

03/12/2026

This week's challenge:

Think of one task you've been avoiding because you can't see how to finish it. Give yourself permission to start for just ten minutes with no commitment to completing it. You're not deciding to finish. You're only deciding to begin. Write down what happens when you remove the pressure of the endpoint.

03/08/2026